I didn’t expect Alex Ovechkin to say he was completely at fault for
what what happened with Brian Campbell, but I can’t believe how everyone
in Washington, D.C. seems to be completely mystified for why he was
suspended. Ted Leonsis can’t understand it, Bruce Boudreau can’t believe it
and now A.O. himself is
a bit dumbfounded.

“I am very sorry that Brian
(Campbell) was injured and I hope he is able
to return to his team soon,” Ovechkin said. “NHL hockey is a physical
game. We all play hard every time we are on the ice and have battles
each shift in every game we play so we can do our jobs and win. As
players we must accept responsibility for our actions and I am no
different but I did not intend to injure Brian and that is why I was
disappointed with the NHL’s decision (on MOnday).”

“Every time I
have the honor to play for my team, I will continue to do
what I have done since I was taught to play. I will play hard, play with
passion and play with respect for my teammates, opponents and fans,”
Ovechkin added. “I look forward to returning to my team and doing
everything I can to be the best player I can be.”

Before
I continue I have to state this disclaimer: I am not a Alex Ovechkin
hater. In fact, I love watching the guy play.

The NHL did not
suspend Ovechkin because they determined he ‘intended to injure’ Brian
Campbell. In fact, if that were the case, I have to believe that his
suspension would have been much, much longer. Ovechkin was suspended
because, like he’s done in the past, was reckless and created a
dangerous play that hurt another player. Ovechkin’s all-out style of
play is great to watch and you have to respect his love of the game, but
at some point he has to realize that he is accountable for the bad
plays he creates when he’s reckless.

This is nothing more than
that. It seems that Ovechkin and the Capitals are taking this a bit
personal; the simple truth is that every time a player is pushed — or
hit — from behind and into the boards, he’s going to be suspended. The
debates about blindside hits, hits the head or even slew-foots have no
bearing in this situation; hits from behind and into the boards always
have been and always will be punished, at every level of hockey.

BOSTON (AP) A two-time Stanley Cup champion hockey player from Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge.

The Boston Globe reports (http://bit.ly/2grdpkl ) 51-year-old Kevin Stevens entered the plea Thursday in a Boston federal court to a charge of conspiring with another man to sell oxycodone.

Prosecutors say Stevens and another man were involved in a scheme to sell the painkiller from August 2015 through at least March 2016 in several cities. A plea agreement says Stevens was responsible for 175 pills containing 30 milligrams each of oxycodone.

His attorney says Stevens has battled an addiction to painkillers for many years.

The Pembroke native played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League, winning consecutive Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.

51.3 Match Penalty – If, in the judgment of the Referee, a goalkeeper uses his blocking glove to punch an opponent in the head or face in an attempt to or to deliberately injure an opponent, a match penalty must be assessed.

51.4 Fines and Suspensions – There are no specified fines or suspensions for roughing, however, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion (refer to Rule 28).

Price being suspended seems highly unlikely, but the league issuing a fine isn’t out of the question.

–Lightning goalie Ben Bishop is a creature of habit when it comes to his game day meals. One of the things that’s consistent in his diet is the overload of carbs. Bread, pasta and oatmeal, Bishop eats it all on game day. Here’s a deeper look into his diet. (Sports Illustrated)

–Speaking of carbs, did you know that Alex Ovechkin always dreamed of becoming a pizza delivery boy? Okay, maybe not, but this Papa John’s commercial of him failing miserably at being a delivery guy is still pretty funny. (Top)

–The Edmonton Oilers made a huge move last off-season when they shipped Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson. The Oilers are currently in first place in the Pacific Division, but that doesn’t mean the trade has worked out well for them. (Sportsnet)

–Wayne Gretzky will appear on an episode of the Simpsons on Sunday evening. NHL.com provides us with a look at his appearance. “People argue about a lot of things, but they never argue about who’s the greatest hockey player. It’s always him,” Al Jean, who’s an executive producer on the show. “I don’t think there is anybody better at anything than Gretzky is as a hockey player. He had a lot of great stories, and it was a real pleasure to meet him.” (NHL)

–Oilers sophomore forward Connor McDavid has been fantastic this season, but “The Great One” still doesn’t think he’s the top player in the NHL. “Is Connor a great player? Absolutely. Does Connor have an opportunity to be the next Crosby? Absolutely. Right now, Sidney deserves to be known as the best player in the game,” Gretzky told ESPN.com.

–Yesterday, we told you that Blackhawks emergency goalie Eric Semborski will be getting his own Topps hockey card. Now, Puck Junk gives us the inside story on how the idea for the card came about. “It all came together pretty quickly,” said Mike Salerno, App Producer of Topps Skate. “We saw the situation in Philadelphia unfold over the weekend and thought it would make for a fun and unique card.” (Puck Junk)

Dave Tippett insists that, even though he suffered an upper-body injury, Max Domi has to play with the sort of edge he showed tonight.

But, yeah, that edge left him bleeding this time around.

As you can see from the video above, Domi and Garnet Hathaway engaged in a fierce fight after a hit by Domi. The Arizona Coyotes forward left the game and didn’t return with an upper-body injury, and is now considered day-to-day. The price of doing business?

Domi grabbed an assist during the game, so maybe this will be the sort of thing that helps him get back on track.

Speaking of back on track, the Flames are now on a five-game winning streak while the Coyotes dropped their sixth in a row as Calgary won 2-1 in overtime. Chad Johnson remains brilliant, Mike Smith keeps getting Arizona points (they may or may not actually want in the long run) and, hey, Dougie Hamilton is still a Flame: